First video and post

[Jollygood49]

Hey everyone, I just started bagging a week and a half ago and have been obsessed ever since. Shorty after starting, I came across this site and have been amazed with all of the good information, tips, etc. that everybody provides on here. Here is my first video, feel free to critique if you see bad habits forming (I know I need to focus on keeping my hands up a little better) and any other tips are greatly appreciated.

[Speedbag]

Hey everyone, I just started bagging a week and a half ago and have been obsessed ever since. Shorty after starting, I came across this site and have been amazed with all of the good information, tips, etc. that everybody provides on here. Here is my first video, feel free to critique if you see bad habits forming (I know I need to focus on keeping my hands up a little better) and any other tips are greatly appreciated.

Hi Jollygood Welcome to the forum.

I'd love to see your video, however it is set to "private" and will not come up in this window or Youtube. You many need to go to your youtube profile and change the option to "public".

[MsDeville]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I am unable to view the You Tube video because it says it's a private video.

[Jollygood49]

Thank you for the kind welcomes, I have changed the video to public, are you able to see it now?

[MsDeville]

You look good. Good stance, elbows are up, nice even rhythm. No bad habits that I can see. I'd say you're well on your way to the speed bag addiction.

[Speedbag]

Thank you for the kind welcomes, I have changed the video to public, are you able to see it now?

Yes, I can see it now. Very interesting and original board set up. I have not seen one hung like that.

Hmmm,.... Pretty good overall for a week and a half or two weeks. This is what I see and hear;

Good:

Body position, distance to bag, basic arm position. nice basic rhythm, continuous alternating Front Double Punches (FDP) and single fist pass thru to Reverse Single Punch (RSP). Pass thu of fists is successful most of time.

need work.

arm/fist motion seems to go a bit in a downward angle, raking the front of the bag occasionally. I hear mis-hits and fist slipping off bag, because...

Contact area on bag seems to meander a bit, sometimes above the belly, slipping down the face, or hitting a bit under the belly. I can see a few times when you hit below the belly on (miss at .20 sec) Reverse Punch (RSP), the Front punch. This could be because of the bag angle in the rebound (hitting late or early) due to slight changes in your swing speed or force. I hear your rhythm waivering a bit from slow to fast and toward the end you appear to be "trying" to hit hard, force the speed just enough to fluctuate your contact point on the bag. Hope all that isn't too technical. I don't mean it to be, for your hitting very much like your time and experience would indicate. A beginner a bit unsure of hand speed, swing control and contact points. Both hands make the pass thru to RSP ok, but sometimes in a downward arc, swing a bit upward from behind. Not every punch, but enough to be problematic because it effects your accuracy on bag contact.

My suggestion would be to keep practicing (duh...) and start trying to learn the Front Fist Roll Technique (F-Roll). In my past experience I found this to be a good technique to help bring consistency to wondering contact points on the bag for beginners. If your hands are sometimes over and under the belly due to inconsistency in swing motion or fist position, the Front Fist Roll helps clean this up because there is only one rebound inbetween the contacts, and to be successful in the roll you have to be very consistent in swing speed and bag contact point. When you step away from the roll to regular circle punching you will find the same small circle motion of the roll will also bring consistency to one arm single punching.

Start with single arm Front Circle Punching (FCP), say with the right hand. then lean and do a 5-7 punch Front Fist Roll (F-Roll), then step back and do 3-5 FCP again, lean in to Fist Roll and do this with each hand several times during the work out. I'd say five or six times with each hand. Work that routine into your normal punching and after a few days I think you will find your control of contact onto the belly in front will improve.

You might also try to put both fists thru the bag, front to back to front. This would be Front Double Punch to Reverse Single Punch
(FDP ' ' RDP ' ' FDP) If this is problematic, do it in reverse. Start with both fists behind the bag and do RDP ' ' FDP ' ' RDP. Sometimes it easier to change the order of a combination to make it feel right.

Anyway, that would be my suggestions right off the bat for you. Good job, your doing fine for your experience level. A month from now you won't beleave how much better and more consistent you have become.

[Jollygood49]

Thanks a lot to both of you for the input. I have been working on the f-roll since taking that video this morning and have been making quite a bit of progress. I will be sure to drill tomorrow as you say as I could see how it could make a difference in my striking accuracy.
In regards to the set-up, the platform was made to be hung on 16" on center wall studs as I'm sure many are and I'm not able to do so in my basement and didn't want to screw into foundation. I hung the set-up and was unhappy with the vibration and lack of rebounding speed so over the past week, I have been rigging it up to make it as solid and quiet as possible. Adding the braces from the angle iron to my foundation made the biggest difference in solidifying the overall setup. I also covered the original 24" platform with a 30" platform I made because the original platform was, in my opinion, too small for the bag. As you can see in the video, the speed bag is pretty well destroyed around the lower belly where it made contact with the original platform. So far so good!

[Zaza]

Welcome Jollygood49! I have to agree, it's looking good for only 1 1/2 weeks. Listen to Speedbag and you'll improve faster then you thought you could.

I would also highly recommend you get "The Speed Bag Bible" (Alan Kahn's book & DVD...'Speedbag' IS Alan). The book and DVD really helped me to understand what was going on.

Looking forward to more from you....

[Jollygood49]

Thanks a lot Zaza. I was actually eyeing up the bible and training dvd on amazon earlier so I will likely be digging into them in the near future.

[Zaza]

Thanks a lot Zaza. I was actually eyeing up the bible and training dvd on amazon earlier so I will likely be digging into them in the near future.

Alan offers member here a discount when you're ready!

http://www.speedbagforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1479

[Speedbag]

Thanks a lot Zaza. I was actually eyeing up the bible and training dvd on amazon earlier so I will likely be digging into them in the near future.

Skip Amazon, PM me directly for about half off of the amazon price.

I just got a ebook editions of the book also [epub and mobi (kindle)] if you want that.


If you are working the Front Fist Roll, (F-Roll) then also try connecting the Front Roll to a single fist pass thru to Reverse Single Punch (RSP). Then maybe Reverse Double Punch (RDP). Do the roll, pass through to one punch on the reverse side, then return to front rolling, non-stop.

that combination demands you maintain correct arm position, bag contact on both sides, and correct linking - timing. Do it fast, do it slow. Slow is actually a bit harder for most. Beginners normally find Front fist Rolling is easier to do "fast". It takes more control to do a nice easy, slow fist roll, pass the fists through and return, slowly. But the gain in fist and bag control is worth the effort.

[Biff]

Welcome JG49. I agree with Alan, your setup is unique. I'm guessing there is very little, if any, vibration because of the way you braced it.

As far as a critique, look no further than Alan's.

[PunchDrummer]

Good first video!
Welcome!
Get the DVD and book here via Alan - he might sign it for you too if you ask.

[Jollygood49]

Thanks everyone, I've been working on what Alan has said and it definately does help and it sure doesn't take long to see that. And Biff yes, my set-up minimizes the vibration to nearly nothing. I actually just made and hung a second platform for my fiance and that one is more solid yet. I'm looking forward to her learning along with me, worst case scenario, I learn to do two bags in the future lol.

[Biff]

Curious to see how the new platform is braced. Post up a pic or two when you get a chance.